Key holder



I. HERRIOTT Je M, W49.

KEYHOLDER Filed June 20, 1945 Fig.2

Fig.5

INVENTOR. invms HERRIOTT 'm- HIS ATTORNEY 4/ Fig. 6

Patented June 14, 1949 KEY HOLDER Irving Herriott, Chicago, 111., assignor of one-half to David M. Davis, Oak Park, Ill.

Application June 20, 1945, Serial No. 600,432

1 Claim.

This invention relates to keyholders, and more particularly to keyholders of the book type in which a cover is provided over an arrangement which holds the keys accessible for ready selection and for ready insertion or removal from a cooperating lock.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simplified and improved keyholder in which the keys are retained side by side for ready selection and for easy use, and particularly in which the key retaining arrangement, is simple to make and easy to use and is rugged and longlasting.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a key retaining arrangement in which the keys are held flatly one against the next and from which individual keys may be turned to Pro ,iect out of the cover for ready use, in which projected position the key is restrained from turning with respect to the key retaining arrangement and its cover.

The features of my invention which I believe to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a keyholder embodying one form of my invention;

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate certain parts of the device shown by Figure 1 before such parts are assembled;

Figure 4 shows an alternative form of the part shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 shows still another alternative form of the part shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is an assembled view of the alternative parts shown in Figure 5.

In Figure 1 a cover Ill, which may be made of leather, impregnated fabric, or the like, supports a key fastening device ll which may suitably be made of resilient metal or plastic. The device l l includes a flat rectangular base portion l2 which is fastened, as illustrated, to cover H] by suitable means such as two flat headed rivets i3 and M. Formed integrally with the base I? there is an upstanding part l5, preferably of the same width as base l2. The part is also formed integrally with a long, thin tongue it which extends back over the base IE to a point a little beyond its opposite end.

On that opposite end of base 12 there is formed integrally an upstanding latch portion 1. The tongue I 6 is small enough in cross section to pass through the hole usually provided in the handle part of a key l8. This tongue I6 is so shaped that its resilience, together with that of the upstanding part l5 and base l2, tends to force its free end some distance away from the latch ll,

in which free position keys may readily be threaded upon, or removed from, tongue It. When keys it are arranged on tongue IS in the desired order and position, tongue I6 is depressed against its resilience toward base I2 and into the latching position in latch l1.

With keys I8 thus arranged as desired on tongue l6 and with the tongue latched in place, cover [0 is closed over the keys and the free edges of cover III are fastened together by suitable means, such as the complementary snap fasteners l9 and 20. When it is desired to use one of the keys Hi, the cover I0 is opened, the desired key I8 is turned out of the cover in an upward direction, and the cover ill is again snapped closed, leaving the key l8 projecting outwardly ready for use and restrained against turning by engagement of tongue l6 through the hole in the key handle.

In Figure 2 the key fastening device is illustrated as it appears during one step of its manufacture. The construction and operation of latch I! are clearly indicated. This illustrated part may, if made of metal, be readily stamped in a single operation from a fiat blank to form the tongue 55, the part. I5, base l2 and latch I! all lying in one plane. If made of plastic, it may be molded in the shape illustrated. After such stamping or molding, the device is bent substantially at right angles at three places, illustrated by dotted lines 2|, 2'2 and 23. Dotted line 2| illustrates where the bend is formed between base l2 and part l5. Dotted line 22 illustrates where the bend is formed between part l5 and tongue [6. Dotted line 23 illustrates where the bend is formed between base l2 and latch ll. If the device II is metal, these bends may readily be made by stressing the metal beyond its yield point; or if the device I l is plastic, the bends are preferably made by the application of heat and pressure to shape the material to the desired bent form, the plastic being of a composition suitable for such treatment.

The latch I! has two snap latch members 24 and 25 in which there are formed respectively oppositely facing notches 26 and 21. When tongue i6 is pressed into latch ll, the snap latch members are forced slightly apart and tongue I6 snaps into notches 26 and 2'! in which it is retained until forced outby the application of suitable pressure. The notches 26 and 21 are shaped to wedge apart the members 2 1 and 25 when tongue 16 is forced out of its latched position in those notches.

In Figure 3 the cover i0 is shown as it appears in one step of its manufacture. It, like device I I may be stamped or die cut, from suitable flexible material, in a. single operation, and is folded along dotted lines 28, 29, 30, and 3! to cover the device H and keys It held thereon.

The base E2 of device H is provided with holes shaped cover I nicely covers the keys held ondevice I and leaves no unnecessar space within the key holder.

This form of theinvention is of especial advantage since it requires only two major parts: device H and cover |0-each of which is made in a simple die stamping operation, and since, in addition to those two major parts, it includes only two rivets and two complementary snap fastener parts, allof which is assembled in a simple operation. The device as a whole is therefore simple in the extreme andis consequently cheap and easy to make, while at the same time it is so arranged that it is simple and'easy to use.

In Figure 4 an alternative form of the latch part of device II is .illustrated, in which the base I2 is formed integrally with a hook latch 35. The hook 36 has a leg 31 integral with base |2and extending into across part 38with a depending tongue 39 to form arecess 401 into which tongue member |6lmay be latched- If this alternativelatch 36be used, it is preferred that tongue l6 be not only shaped and bent to spring away from base l2 but also that it be bent somewhat toward the upper edge of base 22 so that the resilience resultingfrom both such bendings forces tongue |6 into recess 40 and toward leg 31, the better to retain the tongue H in the latch 36.

In Figure 5 an alternative formof device II is illustrated, in which a base 4| is formed integrally in a single stampingor molding opera tion with projecting bearingmembers 42 and 43 on one end, andwitha pair. of snap latch members 44 and 45, like members 24'and in Figure 2, on the other end. Notches 46- and 41 are formed in the same operation in snap latch members 44 and and simultaneously holes 48 and 49 are formed in base4| for the reception of rivets l3 and I4. Also'in the same stamping or molding operation a tongue. 5|), similar in shape to tongue I6, is formed'integ-rally with bearing pins 5| and 52 extending. atright angles to one end of tongue 50. Of course, since the tongue in this form of the invention is. a piece separate from the base 4|, it may,.if. desired, be formed in a separate stampingor molding operation, but it is preferred'to use'a single die to cut I both parts at one time. in order to reduce the cost of dies and of machines on which the dies are operated.

After those two parts arethus formed, the snap latch members 44 and 45 are bent up at' right angles to base 4| and bearing members 42 and 43 are also bent up at right angles to base 4| along dotted line 53 and on the same side of base 4| as snap latch members 44 and'45. The

bearing members 42 and 43 arev also rolled around the bearing pins 5| and 52to form a bearing between tongue 50 and base 4|, .so that tongue 50 may be depressed toward" base 4|, whereupon its free end is engaged and'lockedin the oppositely facing notches 46 and.4"|' inlthe adjacent edges of snap latch members 44and 45. Pressure against tongue 50 away from base 4|, the distance between snap latch members 44 and 45 being just right to require suitable pressure, disengages tongue 50 from notches 46' and 41 and allows the loading of keys on tongue 50 or the removal of keys therefrom, all in a fashion similar to the operation of latch l! in Figure 1.

Figure 6 illustrates the parts shown in Figure 5 after their assembly. Like reference numerals are applied to parts like those illustrated in Figure 5. The bearing 43, 52 provides a hinge for tongue 50 on base 4|, so that the tongue may be moved freely with respect to base 4| except when it is snap engaged in notches 46 and 41 of snap latch members 44 and "45.

This form of the invention, like that of Figure 1, has an advantage in that pressure exerted through cover I0 upon the keys and hence upon tongue 50 tending to depress it toward base 4| acts only to engage tongue 5|] more firmly with snap latch members 44 and 45.

It is within the scope of'my invention'to utilize the latch 36 instead of members 44 and 45 with the device shown in Figures 5 and'6.

While I have shown anddescribed certain particular embodiments ofv my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention in its broader aspects, and I, therefore, aim in the appended claim to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

A key holder comprising: a key fastening device having a flat base portion, an upstanding portion formed integrallywith said base portion, a resilient tongue member formed integrally with said upstanding portion and extending substantially parallel to said base portion, and an upstanding latch portion formed integrally with said base portion at an end thereof opposite said first mentioned upstanding portion and constructed to engage the end of said tongue member remote from said first mentioned upstanding portion; a wedge-shaped covering member having a relatively large end and a relatively small end; a first side openable to admit access to keys carried by said device; and a second side including means for securing said base portion to said second side along a transverse axis of said second side adjacent said large'end; said tongue member being spaced a predetermined distance from said base portion to permit the carrying of a plurality of keys slidably and'rotatably on said tongue member; whereby, when stored, said keys lie with their handles at said large end and their narrow lock-engaging portions extending towards said small end, and when selected for use said keys are rotatable to a position with their lock-engaging portions extending outside said cover at said large end.

IRVING HERRIOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 445,893 Hutchinson et al Feb. 3, 1891 705,368 Lomas July'22, 1902 1,261,148 Martin Apr. 2, 1918 1,996,705 Johnson Apr. 2, 1935 2,066,033 Dahlgren Dec. 29, 1936 2,119,068 Baughman et a1. May 31, 1938 

